


Twisted Destiny

by CelsiusFate



Category: Mononoke-hime | Princess Mononoke
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Soul-Searching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22974760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelsiusFate/pseuds/CelsiusFate
Summary: Ashitaka and his twin sister were the Prince and Princess of the Emishi tribe, with the Elders preparing for the ceremony to make the the heads of the village. When they are cursed by a Demon from the West, they are forced to leave the village and become embroiled in a bitter battle between humanity and Forest Spirits. As they desperately try to stop the needless bloodshed, they run into two humans raised by Wolves...
Relationships: Ashitaka/San (Mononoke-hime)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story contains will contain original characters

_In ancient times, the land lay covered in forests, where, from ages long past, dwelt the Spirit of the Gods.  
_ _Back then, Man and Beast lived in harmony, but as time went by, most of the great forests were destroyed.  
Those that remained were guarded by gigantic beasts, who owed their allegiance to the Great Forest Spirit,  
For those were the days of the Gods...and of Demons..._

Footsteps reverberated throughout the entire forest as a large shadow charged ahead. Wherever this thing stepped, withered leaves and giant trees shriveled up, dying as the creature continued its rampage unattended. The creature payed it no heed. Only death and destruction filled its mind, driving it into a mad frenzy. Picking up the scent of a human village nearby, the creature changed its course to head straight for it.

Humans were the ones who drove him to this state.

Humans were the ones who embedded a bullet into his flesh.

Humans were the ones who destroyed his forest and home.

He needed, no, _wanted_ to make them pay.

For he was the embodiment of Hatred...

* * *

"Aniki, wait for me!"

Ashitaka gently yanked on Yakul's reigns to make his loyal companion stop while he waited for his twin sister to catch up on her own elk. Kotone came trotting into view on the back of Hakul, giving a sheepish grin to her older brother as she did. Ashitaka smiled and reached out to pat his younger twin on the head, gently ruffling her hair while Kotone protested. The two of them wore the distinct blue tunics of the Emishi tribe, with red sashes tied across their waist from which a scabbard dangled containing their swords. Their legs were barefoot save for pieces of blue fabric wrapped around their ankles, with bandages snaking up their arms from the wrist. As the Prince and Princess of their tribe, their hair were pulled back in the traditional topknot as required by the Elders of the village.

The Emishi Tribe were once a proud race of warriors, but their clan was nearly driven to extinction by the emperor of that time around five hundred years ago. Now their village had been relocate far to the east, away from prying eyes and tightly guarded day and night.

"I thought you were with Kaya and the others? Why are you here?" Ashitaka frowned at his younger sister.

"They're just gathering herbs and food for the village. I've already done my share so I came to find you," Kotone replied with a small huff.

He let out a small sigh of defeat.

"Come along then. I was going to check on jii anyways."

The siblings urged their elks forward at a leisurely pace until Kaya came running out of the forest with Sae and Hana.

"Ashitaka! Kotone! Thank the gods we found you!" Kaya said, urgency evident in her voice.

"What's going on?"

"Jii-san said the forest is acting strange. He told us to go back to the village and warn the others," Kaya explained.

The siblings exchanged brief looks.

"Go. Go warn the Elders and everyone else. We'll check on Jii-san at the tower," was all Kotone said as she and her brother raced towards the wooden watch tower near the border of the village.

Jumping off their mounts upon arriving, the two quickly made their way up the watch post but paused halfway when they spotted something moving within the forest.

"Aniki...what is it?" Kotone asked quietly, a sense of dread filling her very soul.

"I don't know."

Making their way up the watch post, they found the village lookout staring into the forest as if in a trance.

"Jii-san, what is it?" Ashitaka inquired, snapping the older man back into reality.

"Something not of this world," was all the latter said.

Kotone stared hard into the darkness of the forest and her eyes could make out wiggling shapes in the distance, shapes that resembled worms of some kind. Then without warning, a massive beast broke through the stone wall that served as a boundary marker for their tribe, crawling its way towards them on four legs. Kotone gripped her brother's arm in fear as she whirled her head around. The creature stepped into the sunlight and the worm-like tentacles immediately flew up in a frenzy, revealing the wounded body of a massive boar beneath as their host.

"Aniki!"

"Yakul, Hakul, run!" Ashitaka shouted.

The elks were frozen with fear as the creature barreled towards them.

Ashitaka released an arrow from his bow at that moment, the impact of the arrow was enough to send their steeds running for safety.

"It's coming straight for us!" Kotone said.

Indeed the demon came right at them with such powerful force, it sent the watch tower crumbling into pieces. Ashitaka grabbed the elderly man in his arms and the siblings jumped into the nearby tree to avoid falling from such a great height. Kotone grunted as she landed roughly on a branch, the momentum briefly stunning her. After regaining her senses, she looked out of the tree and found a mass of tentacle worm-like creatures shuffling around the spot where the watch tower had been. Then four pairs of hands sprung out and immediately the demon headed for their village in the distance.

"It's headed for the village!" she cried in alarm.

"We have to stop it!" Ashitaka said.

The siblings jumped out of the tree with bows in hand as Jii shouted a warning at them overhead.

"The creature is cursed! Don't let it touch you!"

Whistling sharply for their elks to come, the siblings strung their bows and swung deftly onto the backs of their loyal steeds. The two elks easily made their way down the slope of the mountain, until they were right next to the demon. The only thing Kotone and Ashitaka could make out were the gleaming pair of blood-red eyes. Eyes that were full of anger and hatred.

Rounding the corner of the mountain somehow forced the demon to run out right behind the duo, and they shifted their bodies around in an attempt to appease the creature.

"Calm yourself, O mighty lord!" Ashitaka implored.

"There are innocent lives ahead of you, spare us your wrath!" Kotone added.

"Whether you are demon or god, please leave us in peace!" her brother continued.

Exiting the forest with the demon still pursuing them, the siblings urged their elks to run forward until they realized it was no longer following. Kotone spun her head around and realized the demon had spotted her friends and proceeded to change its course to chase them instead.

"Aniki, we can't let it reach the village!"

Yakul and Hakul ran for the demon, putting themselves in danger while the siblings tried to make it stop.

"Go back! Leave our village alone!" Ashitaka ordered.

"Stop!" Kotone added.

Suddenly Hana slipped and fell on her stomach, alarming the siblings as Kaya drew her sword in an attempt to ward off the demon. Realizing their friends were going to die if the demon continued, both of them drew arrows from their quivers and released them at the creature. The projectiles pierced one of the eyes of the demon, sending it screaming in pain as the worm-like tentacles converged on the wounded area.

"Get out of here now!" Kotone shouted at her friends.

Massive worm-like tentacles erupted from the demon and aimed themselves at the siblings. Kotone and Ashitaka raised their right and left arms respectively, wincing in pain as the worms converged on their arms. Ripping their limbs free from the tendrils, both siblings notched another arrow into their bow and took careful aim. The worms were leaving the boar at this point, revealing just how big it was as it roared angrily at them both. They released their arrows right into the same wounded eye, causing the boar to roar in anguish once more.

The tentacles stopped chasing them at that point but the damage was done.

Kotone and Ashitaka grunted in pain as the tentacles melted off their arms, eating away at the bandages that had been freshly wrapped earlier that morning.

The tentacles pooled around the massive boar as it stood still.

Then it fell over with a loud _thud_.

The boar was dead.

An intense burning sensation prompted the siblings to slid off their mounts and onto the ground as the entire village came running towards them at that moment. Kaya knelt in front of the siblings, worry evident on her face.

"Don't touch it Kaya," Kotone ordered, her face contorting in pain.

So her friend began piling dirt on top of her left arm while her brother did the same to his right.

"Everyone get back!" the Village Oracle said as she was carried into view by one of the villagers.

Kaya stood up as the Oracle handed her a large gourd of holy water.

"Pour this over their wounds slowly child," the Oracle instructed.

Kaya tipped the gourd over the wounds of her two friends. Ashitaka and Kotone grunted in pain as steam rose off their angry red-looking skin.

The Village Oracle went over to where the boar laid and bowed to it.

Kotone couldn't hear what the Oracle was saying but then the boar spoke, and its words terrified her deeply.

" _Filthy disgusting humans, soon the same fate shall befall you as it did me, and you will experience the suffering I have went through..."_

Then the body of the board melted away until nothing but a pile of bones remained.

Kotone turned her head away from the scene, leaning against her brother for support and comfort.

* * *

Later that evening the siblings sat before the Village Oracle and Elders in silence. Bandages were wrapped around their right and left arms, hiding the grotesque scars from view. Kotone nearly fainted in shock when Kaya helped her dress her wound after the battle. No doubt her brother was disturbed by what he saw judging from the expression on his face.

No one said a word until the Oracle finished her divination.

"I'm afraid this is very troublesome news. The stones have revealed this God came far from the West. He carried within, a type of poison in his body, a poisonous hatred that drove him mad and ate away the good that remained. It was this very poison that turned the God into a demon, sending it on a rampage until it reached our borders."

The Oracle looked up from her divination cloth to stare at the siblings.

"Prince Ashitaka, Princess Kotone."

"Yes?" the siblings straightened their backs.

"Show us your arms."

The siblings hesitated briefly, something flickering within their eyes, but were gone almost before anyone could notice. Lifting up their injured arms, the two unraveled the bandages and held out their arms for the Elders to see. Encircling their arms was a long, jagged mark colored in purplish red. The scar reminiscent of the worm-like tentacles that had covered the boar's body. To the others, it must have seem like a burn.

It certainly hurt like one.

Shocked gasps echoed loudly in the room when the Elders saw the marks.

"Hii-sama, what does this mean?" Jii-san asked the Oracle, anxiety clear within his voice.

The Oracle merely stared at the siblings in silence as a small smile spread upon her lips. Kotone never fully understood the Oracle's words and readings even as a little girl. The constant rambling of fate being set in stone didn't sit well with the Princess. Fate was something they could change, why couldn't anyone seem to understand that?

"My prince and princess, are you two prepared to hear what the stones have foretold?"

The siblings were quiet for a mere moment until Ashitaka spoke for the two of them.

"Yes," he said.

Again the Oracle simply smiled cryptically before she spoke.

"The wound will slowly spread throughout your body, taking root within your soul. It will cause you great pain, and will eventually kill you."

Ashitaka and Kotone hardened their expressions solemnly after hearing the Oracle's predictions. The Oracle was never one to sugar-coat her words after all. The two of them had been prepared to hear their fate the moment their arrows flew.

Now the Elders were riled up by the Oracle's words.

"Hii-sama, isn't there any way to stop it?!" Jii-san asked desperately, his heart aching at what the Oracle said.

"The Prince and Princess were cursed only because they tried to save our daughters!" Elder Kohaku, who was Sae's father, added.

"We can't just watch them die!" Hana's own father said, a bitter expression upon his face as he stared at the floor.

As the Elders spoke their outrage and protests over what the Oracle had divined, Kotone gripped her brother's hand in hers. Her heart was crying for her people and at herself for the fate that had befallen her and her brother. All she wanted to do was protect her friends, but it seemed even the Gods were plotting against her by bestowing this curse upon her and Ashitaka.

"One cannot change their fates, my prince and princess. No one can. However, you may rise to meet it if you so choose," the Oracle reached into her robe and brought out a small iron ball for the others to see. "Take a look at this. I discovered it in the body of the boar skeleton, right where his heart was. No doubt it was this iron ball that shattered the boar's organs and destroyed him from the inside. This is what caused the board to become a demon."

The siblings exchanged looks with one another.

"There is something ominous happening within the western lands. My prince and princess, you both may head there and seek out answers. It's your fate to go there and see with eyes unclouded by hate. You may even find a way to lift the curse placed upon you both, do you understand?"

"Yes," they both said without hesitation.

One of the Elders, Garai, then spoke out in a tired, worn voice as he lamented the fate that had befallen the Emishi Clan.

"It's been five hundred years since our tribe was destroyed by the emperor while driving the remnants of our people to the east. Some managed to survive and adapt to living here, but our tribe's blood grows thinner and weaker with each generation. Now our last prince and princess must cut their hair and leave us, never to return? Sometimes, I believe the gods are laughing at us. Taking away our beloved prince and princess whom were fated to rule us, forcing them to leave our tribe forever."

Kotone and Ashitaka turned to the altar at that moment. The two of them took out identical small, red daggers and unsheathed them. Holding her topknot with one hand, Kotone quickly sliced through her hair with the dagger, leaving the rest of her hair dangling around her neck in tresses. She placed her topknot on the table and bowed while her brother did the same.

"Our laws forbid us from sending you off. May the Gods guide your path as you walk, Farewell." the Oracle said quietly.

Both of them got up and quietly left the shrine.

* * *

Back within their shared room, the siblings packed their bags with the necessary provisions for their journey in silence. Kotone wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and quickly pulled on a blue tunic that would serve as her undershirt. Yanking on a pair of tan pants that provided her enough room to move around in, Kotone pulled on her pair of straw boots and tied them around her ankles. Next she took out two arm coverings and pulled them on, shielding her cursed mark from view. Her brother wore similar clothing on the opposite side of the room.

"Aniki..."

"I know Kotone. The laws of our village must be followed," Ashitaka said.

Kotone sighed quietly to herself and covered her head with a red hood with a mask that covered the lower half of her face. Slipping her bow and quiver of arrows around her shoulders, and tying her sword around the sash of her waist, Kotone tugged her straw cape around her shoulders and tied it tightly closed. The cape would serve as shelter from the rain and would also keep her warm at the same time.

"Come," her brother said.

The two of them quietly made their way to the stable where their elks were already saddled from earlier. Yakul and Hakul looked up at their masters, snorting quietly as the siblings led them out before mounting up. Most of the villagers were already asleep by that point, so it was relatively easy to slip out without alerting anyone until they saw Kaya hiding behind one of the straw huts.

"Ashitaka, Kotone," she hurried over to them.

"Kaya! You know it's forbidden to watch us leave," Kotone chastised gently.

"I don't care about the laws. I wanted to give you two these," their friend said.

Holding out her palms to the two of them, the siblings could see two pairs of crystal daggers nestled within her palm.

"We can't take these. They're meant for you and your future husband," Ashitaka said quietly.

"I want you two to have them. That way...you won't forget about me and the village," Kaya said, fighting back tears as she spoke.

Kotone and Ashitaka reached down to take up a dagger each in their hands. The latter pulled down her face mask and smiled at her best friend.

"We won't forget you Kaya," she promised.

"How could we forget after all we've been through?" Ashitaka added.

"With us gone from the village, the position of leader falls to you next Kaya. Lead them on the right path, make us proud to call you our sister."

Without another word, the siblings urged their elks into a sprint and the two rode away, never to return to the Emishi village again.

* * *

_To be continued....._

_How was the first chapter?_

_Like it? Hate it?_

_Leave me your thoughts!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashitaka and Kotone leave their village and find themselves in the company of a strange monk....

The siblings rode far and fast, through vast open plains and densely populated woods. They rode for miles and miles until the boundaries of the Emishi Village were long far behind. Kotone admired the scenery around her as they rode on their Elks. Both of them passed through deep valleys, mountainsides, and crossed surging rivers. It wasn't long before they found themselves in the Western territories like the Oracle had said. Whenever they grew tired, they would find secluded areas to rest in for the night (avoiding villages as much as possible) and slept until the sun rose, then they'd be on their way once more.

After traveling for what the siblings assumed to be a week or more after being banished did they come across their first danger on this long journey. Ashitaka was the first to spot rising smoke in the distance. Alarmed by this, the siblings rode down a trail along the mountain until they saw a simple village coming into view, no doubt a farming one due to the vast area of rice fields.

Yet that wasn't what alarmed them.

It was the samurais attacking the innocent villagers that caused them alarm.

"Aniki...what's going on?" Kotone breathed, her eyes locked onto the battlefield.

"It's a massacre..." her brother replied.

The Samurai were trading blows with the men of the village while children and women, with bags of belongings strapped to their backs, screamed and fled for their lives away from all the carnage. Kotone could clearly see it was a one-sided victory. The regular men were no match for the Samurai and their armors.

Suddenly one of the Samurai looked over in their direction.

"Look! On the hill!" he cried, alerting his comrades to their position.

Arrows began raining down on them from the small group formed at the base of the trail. Urging their Elks forward, the siblings rode away as arrows continued flying in their direction, yet none managed to hit their target. Pulling out arrows from their own quivers, the siblings were prepared to fight back if more Samurai came their way. Kotone saw one of the warriors with his weapon raised in air, the deadly blade hacking at the bag of a villager who was desperately trying to escape her attacker.

_Those bastards! How dare they!_

It seems her brother caught on as well.

The Samurai raised his blade in the air a second time, preparing for the final blow.

"STOP!" Ashitaka roared beside his sister.

At the same time, both siblings grunted as the curse marks began to writhe and pulsate furiously beneath their coverings. Kotone clutched her left arm before she was able to let her arrow fly, but her brother managed to let his soar through the pain. With unnatural strength, the tip of the arrow not only pierced through its target, but it completely _ripped_ off the arms of the Samurai. The arrow pinned the severed limbs —the hands still grasping the hilt— to the side of a tree.

Taking this chance, the woman scrambled away as the armless soldier gaped at the sight of his detached limbs dangling from the bark. The siblings rode past the man, knocking him onto his back while several more Samurai continued chasing after them on horseback this time.

With their opposite arms still pulsing in pain, the siblings grit their teeth and fought back the urges to scream in agony. Kotone in particular, was having a harder time compared to her brother. The only thing she could do was grasp her left arm with her right as Hakuul rode through the trail. The curse mark was starting to burn like fire against her other hand.

 _What's going on?_ she thought, her gaze locking onto her brother's who was riding ahead.

Turning her head around, Kotone spotted the two archers still pursuing them on horseback. Pushing through the pain, she notched an arrow to her bow and aimed it at one of them, her eyes burning with fury at the thought of all the pillaging and destruction rained down upon the innocent village. The thought of what she just witnessed only served to rile up her arm even more.

"You bastards!" she seethed angrily.

An arrow flew towards her but Kotone was able to doge before releasing her own. The projectile sailed towards the first Samurai who had aimed at her, cleanly slicing through his neck, severing it from his body while the horse neighed in terror. His companion immediately stopped his horse, clearly valuing his own life more than chasing down two stray warriors.

The siblings rode off into the forest, quickly vanishing from sight yet again.

Behind the duo, the second Samurai turned to look at his companion's limp body sliding off the horse. In all his years as a Samurai, he had never seen an arrow cleanly slice off someone's head like that. His eyes went back to the forest where the two siblings had disappeared into, and a single word fell from between his lips.

" _Demons_..."

* * *

The siblings rode deep into the forest before Ashitaka called for them to stop. Kotone was grateful for this because she was feeling drained, like she couldn't even lift a finger or leg any longer. They managed to find a waterfall within the forest, and both of them dismounted to let their Elks drink from the stream. Kotone took off her straw covering and blue arm coverings to stare at the mark. Sticking her hand under the waterfall, she let it soak up the clear liquid while Hakuul drank from the stream beside her. Ashitaka was doing the same thing to the right of her.

"Aniki...it's getting bigger."

"I know...maybe it had something to do with earlier."

Running a hand through her short locks in frustration, Kotone leaned back against the rock and exhaled a breath.

"We'll rest here for the night. Tomorrow we'll continue but we might need to stop by a village to buy some more rice."

Offering to gather firewood for the two of them, Kotone wandered a bit away from the area where they were making camp. She needed the time alone to think about what she had just seen. Having grown up in the village all her life, she was pretty much sheltered from the harsh realities of the outside world. Today proved just _how_ sheltered she had been.

With an abundant amount of firewood gathered, she returned back to the campsite with her brother and they shared a quiet meal before eventually falling asleep.

* * *

The siblings awoke before the sun was even up and continued on their journey.

Neither of them spoke much as they rode on their Elks.

The guilty conscience of the day before still weighed heavily on their minds.

When they were out of the forest and in the clearing, Ashitaka spotted a village in the distance and they rode there together. The only thing going through Kotone's mind was food, and where there's people, there's bound to be food. Food that they both required to retain sustenance to keep up on their journey.

"Aniki, do we have enough gold to pay for the food?" she asked, pulling Hakuul up beside her older brother.

Ashitaka took out a small pouch and looked inside.

"Yes. We have more than enough. Come, let's see if we can find a rice vendor."

Near the edge of the village, both siblings dismounted and held onto the reins of their steeds as they walked inside.

Almost immediately Kotone could feel twenty pairs of eyes staring at her, burning through the back of her head as she walked beside her brother. Thankfully she had grown accustomed to stares from others and didn't let it bother her _too_ much. Spotting a rice vendor to the side of the street, they made their way over and Ashitaka requested for a small bag of rice.

The rice vendor glanced up at the two strangers and at the crowed surrounding her. Wordlessly she scooped up enough rice to fill the small sack Ashitaka was holding out. Reaching into his sash, Ashitaka took out a small gold nugget and placed it in her palm.

"Here," he said quietly.

The woman's expression turned into a scowl as she stared at the nugget.

"This isn't money! What do you think you're trying to pull? Give me back the rice you thieves!" she hissed angrily at them.

Kotone was about to shoot back a scathing reply of her own when a short, fat man bearing a red umbrella and a backpack interrupted them.

"Wait, let's not fight. Allow me to take a look would you?" the strange man said, holding his hand out to the rice vendor.

"Fine," she answered with a scowl, dropping the nugget into his open palm.

The stranger lifted up the nugget and scrutinized it carefully under the sun. His expression morphed to one of surprise at what he was seeing, then the corners of his lips turned upward into a slight smirk.

"This is a gold nugget! A _real_ gold nugget, which is _more_ than enough to pay for the bag of rice. I'd reckon this nugget can purchase _at least_ four bags, if not more!" he declared as the crowd gasped and began whispering in awe to one another. Kotone stuck closer against her brother as the stranger —a monk judging by his clothes— eyed them curiously as he turned back to the woman.

"However, if you _truly_ do not want this, then why not give me the nugget and I will pay for their rice instead? Is there a money changer around here? Does anyone know?"

Kotone rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly in disapproval at what the monk was trying to pull. The nugget belonged to her brother, shouldn't it be right if _he_ was the one to take it back? Ashitaka calmly patted her on the shoulder and signaled they should leave. Tugging on the reins of their Elks, the siblings turned and began to walk away from the crowd when the monk realized they were trying to slip away.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" he called after the duo.

The monk's attempt to leave was foiled by the rice vendor who was clawing at his hand to get the gold nugget back.

"Give it back, it's mine!" she shrieked, taking the gold nugget as the monk was too distracted.

Kotone and Ashitaka had mounted their Elks and were enjoying the brief moment of silence provided before the monk from earlier caught up to them. Kotone was amazed that the man was able to catch up to them so swiftly despite his age. Exchanging a look with her brother, Kotone kept her eyes ahead but alert as she scanned their surroundings.

"Where are you two off to? No need to thank me by the way," the monk said cheerfully.

The siblings remained silent.

"You know, the way you two fought back at the village there, I would've dare say the demon must have possessed you two. I've never seen someone take off another's arm with a mere arrow. I was simply amazed, not to mention I wouldn't want to get on your bad side."

At this the siblings gave the monk a sideways glance in alarm, until Kotone caught something moving in her peripheral vision. Turning her head at the same time with her brother, they noticed they were being followed by two men, both bearing long spears over their shoulders.

"I see you've finally noticed eh? With what the village just saw back there, I'm not surprised we're being followed. That's the price of being wealthy these days. They'll wait until we fall asleep and then strike no doubt." The monk grinned up at the siblings and continued, "shall we run then?" Not waiting for a reply from either of them, the monk took off sprinting down the road with remarkable speed. Both siblings urged their Elks into a run as well, leaving the two bandits behind as they followed after the monk.

* * *

The trio stopped for the night at what appeared to be an abandoned tunnel of sorts blocked off at one end by debris, The monk started to cook dinner for the three of them and Ashitaka told the monk their story (leaving out their origins from the Emishi village) while the monk listened quietly. Kotone realized not once did the monk ask for their names, nor did he divulge his. The three of them were merely strangers brought together by chance, not that it mattered to Kotone. She'd very much prefer if they were strangers at this point.

By the time her brother finished, the sun had already set and the only light provided was the small fire the monk was using to cook their rice gruel.

"So the Demon that terrorized your village turned out to be a Boar God?" the monk murmured, as if speaking to himself mostly.

"Yes. We tracked its trail down the mountain, but when we reached the village...we lost it." Ashitaka replied while Kotone hugged her knees against her chest.

"That's life my dear boy." The monk gestured to their surroundings, prompting the siblings to glance around where they could make out grave markers and boulders with broken pieces of plank wood. "See our surroundings? When I came here last time a few years ago, this was a lovely little village. But then, there must have been a flood or a landslide, and now everyone is dead. These days, we are all surrounded by ghosts of angry spirits. People die every day, whether it be from war or starvation, starvation even. Do you think anybody cares about them? You two say you're under a curse, so what? The whole damn world's under a curse as well." The monk said casually as he pulled out a small package from his bag to mix in with the rice gruel.

The siblings regarded the monk's words briefly before they stared at the fire again.

"We never should have gotten involved in that fight...now two men are dead because of us," Kotone said.

"True as it may be, your actions saved the rest of the village, myself included. As for those samurai, you win some, you lose some. It's the way of life around here. Some just die earlier rather than later." The monk pointed out before looking up and holding out his hand, "Come now, give me your bowls."

The siblings reached into their small pouches and took out identical red bowls which they handed over to the monk.

"Such beautiful bowls...you know, seeing you two makes me think of a story." The monk took their bowls and scooped up a ladle of rice gruel each before handing it back to them while continuing. "Have you two heard of the Emishi people? My master told me they used to ride red elks like yours and used stone arrowheads like your arrows."

Ashitaka and Kotone observed the monk quietly as the latter downed his bowl of rice gruel before refilling.

"Of course they were all wiped out five hundred years ago. You don't have to worry about me though, I won't tell people where you're from. Come on, this rice is yours, eat up!" he finished with a chuckle.

Kotone lifted her bowl up to eat while her brother reached into his pouch again to take out the metal object the Oracle had given them.

"Have you ever seen an object like this?" he asked, holding it out to the monk.

Taking it between his pair of chopsticks, the monk studied the object carefully for several seconds. "Never have," he responded in a cool voice, passing the object back to her brother.

"This ball came from the Demon's body. It shattered his organs and rotted his flesh, turning him into a monster as a result."

The monk made a small noise with his mouth, as if contemplating whether or not to tell the siblings his next words.

"Up in the mountains, far to the west from here, where they say the Forest Spirit has made his home. It's a very dangerous place for humans, and those who enter never return alive."

The siblings looked up at this as their eyes widened.

"The Forest Spirit?" they echoed in unison.

"Yes. I've heard people say the animals who live there are giants, just like they were during the Age of the Forest."

While the monk continued shoving rice gruel into his mouth, the siblings glanced at one another, then to their Elks. Hakuul and Yakuul were contently grazing on hay behind them the entire time, but at that moment they seemed to share one mind. Just as quickly, the siblings went back to their food in silence.

When the sun began peeking over the horizon, the siblings gathered their things and left the ruins quietly without looking at the sleeping monk wrapped up in a small blanket. Climbing onto the backs of their Elks, they took off for the distance after giving their strange host a curt bow, unaware the monk had been awake and knew they were leaving.

"See you two there my friends," the monk mumbled before closing his eyes again.

* * *

_To be continued..._

_Review?_

_The wolves (along with San and my OC) are coming next chapter!_

_See you then!_

_Celsius Fate~_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashitaka and Kotone make their way through the Beast God Forest after rescuing two survivors from the river. They make their way to Iron Town with the two men.
> 
> Meanwhile their encounter with the two humans still lingers within their minds....

The pounding rain beat relentlessly against the dark blue cloak of an elegant-looking lady bearing a red hat. Her clothing were slick with rain but the woman seemed indifferent as she stood under a crimson umbrella, a rifle clutched tightly in her hands as she shouted orders to the long line of men driving oxen over the rain-slicked path. Her piercing gaze skipped none as she observed the line.

"Everyone, let's get this rice home. Let's move!" she ordered in a clear voice.

Suddenly one of the riflemen rushed over. "They're coming! The wolves!" he shouted loudly.

Snapping her gaze over to where the rifleman said the wolves were coming from, Eboshi spotted two white dots moving at incredible speed amidst the blackened outcrops of the surrounding mountains. Her guardian and the other riflemen opened up crimson umbrellas of their own while she ordered the other men to keep the oxen calm and moving to prevent panic.

"Keep your powder dry!" Gonza ordered his men.

Eboshi watched as the wolves gradually closed the distance to where they were.

"First squad, fire!" she ordered.

The first firing squad opened fire on the wolves, the bullets narrowly missing their target by a mere inch. Eboshi saw the one of the humans riding one of the wolves signaling to make a right turn. The two wolves made right turn and headed for the group again, the wolves panting loudly as they charged for them.

"Second squad, fire!"

The second squad also fired their weapons at the wolves, forcing them to split apart and run upwards back towards the mountain. Eboshi watched them disappear from view while her guardian was unimpressed.

"That was it? They weren't so big," Gonza scoffed.

"Those were just the pups. Wait until you see their mother," Eboshi answered darkly, her eyes darting around the landscape as if searching for something.

The remaining men were silent and still, even the oxen weren't moving, all were waiting for their lady's signal to continue onward. Then, from seemingly nowhere, a massive white she-wolf charged down the side of the mountain, heading straight for the train of oxen with teeth bared.

"It's Moro!" Eboshi yelled, ripping open the red paper on her rifle before snapping a cartridge in. Lighting the small stick that would ignite the gunpowder in the cartridge, Eboshi kept her eyes trained on the she-wolf as Moro drew closer and closer. The Wolf Goddess sank her fangs into the neck of a ox, tossing it over the side of the cliff while knocking over men in her attempt to get to where Eboshi was. The screams of her fallen men echoed loudly in the air as they fell into the misty abyss below, alongside oxen carrying rice on their backs.

Hoisting the rifle over her shoulder for support, Eboshi took aim at the she-wolf calmly, no trace of fear evident on her emotionless face. "Come," she taunted, beckoning for Moro to engage her with her tone. The she-wolf snarled as if overhearing what she said, and proceeded to toss another oxen over her shoulder before trampling yet another man beneath her paws.

With another loud snarl, Moro launched herself at Eboshi with fangs bared and gleaming. With a clear shot to the she-wolf, Eboshi pressed down on the trigger and the rifle illuminated her face. The rifle was fired, sending the bullet flying straight into Moro's chest where it pierced through her skin deep enough to draw blood. The she-wolf was somehow able to ignore the pain and push forward. Had it not been for Gonza who fired off his weapon, Moro would have succeeded in tearing off Eboshi's head. The fire emitting from the weapon burned across her pure white fur, making Moro snarl in pain. One of her paws slipped off the side of the mountain and the Wolf Goddess tumbled down into the ravine far below.

"We got her!" Gonza said victoriously.

Eboshi let out a small snort. "She's a Goddess, she's not going to die from that. Gather up the rest of the men and move out!"

"What of the ones who fell?"

"They're gone. Let's get the _living_ home in one piece," was all Eboshi said.

* * *

San and Hiro were angry their ambush had failed.

Facing off against _that_ woman's use of guns, there was no way for them to close enough to kill her. It was bad enough _that_ woman had to raze their beloved forest from the ground up to support her atrocious home, but they had the audacity to go through their forest carrying goods traded from _their_ home! They had planned this ambush under the cover of rain, hoping the continuous downpour would be enough to aid them, but it failed.

"Nee-san, what are we going to do? Our ambush failed and mother fell down the ravine," Hiro said angrily, removing the demonic-looking mask from his face.

His sister removed her mask from her face as well while their two wolf brothers panted and nudged their arms. Hiro scratched Haku on the nose fondly while waiting for his sister's decision. Kiba whined softly and nudged San on the shoulder with his snout. They were no doubt worried about their mother, which meant their first priority was to find out where she fell.

"We go find where Mother has fallen, then we'll regroup and plan our next step."

The siblings mounted their wolf brothers with ease and set off for the bottom of the mountain.

* * *

Unaware of the battle that had taken place above their heads, Kotone and Ashitaka arrived at the edge of a rushing river. The two of them made their way out of the forest just as the sun began peaking over the clouds above, basking the land in its warmth and chasing away the chilliness of the rain from earlier. As they neared the river source, the siblings noticed the water was rather brown. Exchanging looks and wondering if it was safe to drink from, Ashitaka was inspecting it when he saw the dead body of a ox floating by with a package secured to its back. Trailing behind the ox was another wooden box with a human body lying atop it.

Kotone suppressed the urge to shudder as she watched the body float downstream. This poor soul must have slipped and lost his footing with the ox from earlier. Bending her knees and scooping up some water in her hands, Kotone was inspecting it when she heard her brother taking off for the big rock in the middle of the river.

"Aniki!" she shouted, running after him.

Spying a body half-submerged in the water and wedged between the giant rocks, Kotone helped her brother pull the body out before she pressed a ear against the man's mouth. She could hear soft breaths coming from him and looked up at her brother with a relieved expression. The man was merely unconscious, but then she saw another body trapped further behind the boulder, also unconscious. She ran over and gently pulled him out to discover he too, was alive like his companion albeit with a broken leg.

Bringing the second body over to his brother, Kotone set the man down and the siblings inspected the two men for injuries. Aside from a broken arm and leg on the second one, both men were lucky to even be alive.

Suddenly their Elks pricked up their ears in alertness, their eyes scanning the area while their ears flicked back and forth. Sensing their steeds sudden discomfort, the two siblings looked up over to the general direction where the Elks were staring at. Grabbing their bows and urged by curiosity the two siblings ran upstream and hid themselves behind the twisted roots of a fallen tree. Together, they peered through the vine openings towards the other side of the river.

Lying on the riverbank opposite from where they were hiding, the siblings saw a massive clump of white fur laying still on the rocks. From the end of the forest on the other side, Kotone spotted two smaller silver wolves emerging with two riders on their backs. Slowly, the massive clump of white fur stood up to reveal a gigantic white wolf with two tails. This must be one of the old gods the monk spoke of! There was no way such a majestic creature could be _anything_ but a God of the Forest!

"Aniki...it's a wolf god," she murmured quietly.

Ashitaka merely nodded as they kept observing.

As the former Emishi Princess watched, Kotone realized the Wolf God was injured due to the clump of red fur around its neck.

Then one of the two riders slid off the first wolf and went over to check on the injury after placing what appeared to be a spear on the ground.

* * *

San and Hiro found their mother injured on the riverbed after Haku and Kiba followed their mother's scent. The two siblings arrived in the clearing and their mother stirred, sitting up slowly, giving them a full view of the injury on her chest.

"Mother!" Hiro said quietly.

His sister slid off Kiba's back and went over to examine the wound.

Both siblings didn't need to speak. They could feel it. Their mother had a human bullet lodged in her breast, near her heart.

They had witnessed the way Nago fell, to the very same bullet which was within their mother's body. Moro had forbidden them from interfering as it was not their war to fight, but San and Hiro clearly remembered the way _that_ woman fired her weapon which turned the proud Boar God into a rampaging demon. Both of them were afraid the same fate would befall their mother.

Knotting her fingers through the patch of red fur, San narrowed her eyes in anger briefly before taking her mother's blood in her mouth. It was tainted with the taste of iron as she sucked. With her lips stained red from it, San turned her head and spat out the blood, watching the river wash away the discolored liquid with it.

The duo were preoccupied with their mother's condition and didn't notice the strangers observing them until Moro growled lowly.

* * *

So lost was she in observing that Kotone failed to realize the two mysterious strangers had noticed their presence as their gazes were locked in their general direction. While one rider revealed herself to be a girl, Kotone was far more intrigued by the second rider. The second rider had lowered his hood as well, revealing shaggy brown hair that stopped just above his eyes, and slightly tanner skin than she had. He wore a coat made of wolf fur she assumed, which hung around his neck in which a red mask was nestled within.

What caught her attention most was the three markings on his face, a small upside down triangle on his forehead and two longer red fang-like markings framing either side of his face. Was this a sign of the Wolf God? That he was a member of the tribe?

The other rider —a female— was also looking in their general direction and both of them had weapons clutched in their hands.

Not wishing to get into a fight, Ashitaka and Kotone lowered their bows before pulling themselves up onto the tree trunk.

Both of them lowered their masks simultaneously but it was Ashitaka who spoke for them.

"My name is Ashitaka and this is my sister Kotone. We came here from the lands in the East. Are you the old Gods of the Forest we have heard of?" he shouted, letting the wind carry his voice across the river.

* * *

For several seconds, both San and Hiro were frozen, unsure of what to do or how to react. They had been expecting shouting and cries of revenge for fallen family members, or even riflemen to start shooting at them. Instead they found two humans, a boy and girl around their age, staring from across the river. The two strangers were dressed in identical blue robes with matching straw cloaks and masks on their faces.

"Foreigners," Hiro murmured.

There was no way they could've forgotten someone like them if they had seen the two.

Hiro had to give them credit for not showing fear in the presence of their mother. A breeze blew by just then, carrying over the scent of the two strangers to them. Hiro inhaled a breath and could smell earth and grass, along with a mixture of rain and something _evil_. No doubt their mother must have smelled it as well because she growled more loudly and stood up to walk away.

San was still glaring at the humans until Hiro approached and gently touched his sister on the shoulder. That seemed to snap her out of her trance as she mounted Kiba with ease. Haku was dragging the carcass of a ox from the river for their next meal, thus Hiro climbed onto Kiba's back as well.

"We leave!" San said loudly.

The two of them vanished into the forest without another glance behind.

* * *

The look the boy gave Kotone was certainly not one to be forgotten easily. No doubt their paths would cross again in the near future, this she was certain as the strangers vanished into the forest.

"Aniki, do you think they're the children of the giant wolf?" she asked, her eyes never leaving the forest.

"Perhaps. Maybe we'll run into them again."

Their conversation was broken by a loud scream coming back from where they had saved the two men. Sighing to herself, Kotone wondered what was happening now that would cause one of the men to scream like his life depended on it.

They ran back and noticed the first man had regained consciousness and was trying to push himself away from _something_.

While Ashitaka calmed the man down, Kotone explored further and noticed a white humanoid creature nestled within the tree roots. Upon realizing _what_ exactly it was, Kotone couldn't help but laugh. The creature had a circular head with three unevenly shaped circles on its face that made up its eyes and mouth. Despite not making any threatening gestures to the man, the latter was still screaming like his life was in danger.

"A Kodama! I never thought I'd see one with my own eyes," she said with a smile.

She straightened back up and went back to her brother.

"Calm down or you'll make your injuries worse," her brother soothed, which didn't help since the man had stopped screaming to gawk at them, wondering why they weren't screaming in terror alongside him.

The Kodama made a rattling noise by clicking its head, and the man screamed in terror again.

"It's alright. Kodamas are a sign the forest is healthy and untouched," Ashitaka explained, turning to look at Yakuul. His loyal companion didn't even flinch when a Kodama appeared on its saddle.

"B-But they'll lead their master right to us" the man stammered nervously.

Kotone gave the man a curious look. "What master? The wolves we saw earlier?" she inquired further.

"N-No! Something more terrifying! It walks the forest at night! During the day it takes the form of a deer and has the face of a human-" the man babbled on in his fear and was no longer comprehensible at this point.

"Hakuul and Yakuul aren't afraid. Don't worry, they're not going to harm us."

While the man continued on with his babbling about this creature, Ashitaka had gathered materials to make a splint for the man's arm and leg. Kotone watched over the other man, lifting him up onto the back of her Elk for easier transportation. When the first man had been bandaged up, the siblings stretched their backs briefly and looked around for a way to go.

"If you want to get back to Iron Town, you'll have to go through the forest."

"Iron Town?"

"You'll see when we get there. Milady runs it and does a pretty darn good job of keeping outsiders away."

"I see," Kotone mused.

Ashitaka grabbed hold of the man and lifted him up onto Yakuul's back before taking the reins in his hands.

Looking up at the vast forest before them, the siblings stared into the depths of the woods and started their journey within.

* * *

Not even halfway through their journey across the forest, Kotone was already starting to regret her brother saving the man's life. It's not that he was unpleasant to be around, it was the fact that he constantly blabbered on about the Kodamas leading them to their doom that made Kotone want to stuff her ears with hay to shut him out. As they walked deeper into the forest, she could see more and more Kodama materializing from the trees around them.

Some of them were mimicking what they were doing.

Others were running and jumping alongside them.

 _This place is so magical_. Kotone thought as she smiled at the antics of the little tree spirits. Along the way they passed by a particularly large tree and the Kodamas split into two groups, with one going right and the other going left up the trunk. "This must be their mother, such a magnificent tree." Her brother remarked as they passed by. Kotone bowed her head in respect as they did.

The man on Yakuul's back merely whimpered quietly and leaned away in response.

Soon the small group came across a clearing that opened up into vast trees surrounded by ponds on all sides. The further they walked into the marsh, the more Kotone marvelled at her surroundings. Tilting her head back, she saw the stared at the treetops in amazement. Her foot suddenly stepped into something, making her glance down curiously. She had stepped beside the paw print of a wolf.

"This must be where they live," she heard her brother say.

Deciding to take a short break, the siblings found a small clearing and gently lowered the second man onto the ground. Kotone went to the water's edge alongside her brother, the two of them holding their red bowls which they used to scoop up small amounts of water to wash. A flash of blue caught her attention, making Kotone look up to find three glowing blue butterflies a little further ahead, hovering over what appeared to be another print in the moss.

Only this print was different.

It was a footprint with three hoof marks, roughly the size of her brother's hand.

"Aniki look," she said, pointing to the footprint.

"I don't know of any animal with hoof prints like that," Ashitaka said as he studied it carefully.

"They're still fresh," Kotone pointed out.

The siblings scanned their surroundings, their dark eyes flicking from left to right before Ashitaka spotted the golden glow of sunlight far to the right. Kotone looked over as well and was able to make out silhouettes in the distance. A herd of deer, completely silent, were walking past one by one, until the last one caught their attention. This deer was bigger than the rest, and from what the siblings could see, it had many antlers branching off two main ones, rising high into the air like tree stalks. This deer stopped walking, then turned its head in their direction. The only thing Kotone saw was the outline of the animal, its face obscured by the surrounding shadows.

Her mouth slightly agape in shock and wonder, Kotone was about to say something when her left arm began burning like it was on fire. Looking down, she was horrified to see her limb was pulsing and writhing like that time on the battlefield. Her brother's soft grunts from the right told her his arm must also be acting up as well. Without thinking (not like she had much choice), Kotone thrust her hand into the water, hoping it would somehow dull or extinguish the pain. Her right hand was curled tightly around the moss, her fingers strangling the green patch while the only sound she could hear was her own blood filling her ears.

Ashitaka was doing the same thing beside her.

"Are you two alright? Is something wrong?" the man asked upon noticing the distress on their face.

It seemed like an eternity before the golden deer finally walked away and the patch of sunlight faded as well. Only then did their arms stop hurting, and Kotone released the patch of moss with soft pants. Scooping up some water in her bowl, she brought it over to the unconscious man and helped tilt the liquid down his throat while Ashitaka gave his bowl to the first man.

"You two look like you've seen ghosts. This is why I warned against going into this forest! It does things to you," the man said before drinking the water greedily.

"Just now, did you see anything?" Ashitaka inquired, his eyes still looking at the area where the golden deer was.

"I didn't see anything _danna_. Are you sure you weren't imagining it?"

"No...it's nothing."

The siblings put their bowls away after having a drink for themselves and continued onward through the forest towards Irontown.

When they were nearly through, the first man suddenly lifted his arm out of the cast. "My arm! It's healed!" he said gleefully, only to hold it abruptly with his other hand right after and muttering it wasn't.

Kotone stifled her laughter.

* * *

The moment the siblings emerged from the forest, an unnatural and uneasy feeling settled upon the two. It was a feeling they couldn't exactly describe with words, but it was more of a nagging feeling at the back of their minds. While they were surrounded by warmth and comfort within the forest, now it felt like they had been stripped bare and left to fend off the cold.

"Aniki, this place isn't right."

Ashitaka was silent but the frown on his face mirrored what his sister was feeling.

" _Danna_! You two were right! We made it back home!" the first man cried happily, delirious that he managed to make it back without being eaten or killed in the forest.

With her eyebrows rising in slight amusement, Kotone turned her sight onto the town in the center. She could see it was a large pyramid-shaped building made of what she assumed was iron. Surrounding it on all sides was large wooden posts with spikes at the end, designed to keep out intruders. It sat in the middle of a lake connected to the opposite side by a single strip of land which served as a bridge. She could see a line of people making their way inside as they walked. Yet the sight that took her off guard the most was the surrounding area.

Where there were once trees that stood proud and tall, only burnt and charred remains were left. Kotone sucked in a sharp breath upon seeing this, unwilling to believe how far someone would go to hurt the forest that gives them life and shelter.

"Aniki...the forest," she murmured quietly.

"I know. It pains me too," her brother replied.

"This is Lady Eboshi's Iron Town! The town produces iron by heating iron sand harvested from the surrounding forest. It's magnificent isn't it?" the man said, almost proud of what his home was doing.

The siblings reactions were the complete opposite.

A little further down they could see a small group of people preparing to cross the lake in boats, and the first man immediately started getting riled up.

"I know them! Hey! Hey! It's me!" he shouted loudly, waving his good arm in the air in the process.

The group of people at the bottom were alarmed as they looked up and quickened their actions, as if they were afraid of being attacked. Ashitaka and Kotone brought their steeds down closer to the group while the man on Yakuul's back continued waving his hand wildly.

"It's me! Koroku the ox driver!" he said, identifying himself to his comrades.

The first man paused and turned to study the man curiously before his eyes widened. "Koroku!? Is it really you? How did you survive? We thought you were dead!" he exclaimed, rushing over to help them.

"Yep, it's me!" Koroku beamed.

The second man finally seemed to notice the siblings standing there somewhat awkwardly and turned his attention to them. "Who are you?" He questioned, suspiciously looking at their clothing and Elks.

"We can save questions for later. If we don't get across to your town, your other companion here won't make it," Ashitaka replied through his mask.

"R-Right away!"

The small group hastily arranged a spot for them on the boat and pushed off from shore towards Iron Town. Hakuul and Yakuul were swimming beside them in the lake since they couldn't fit in the boat. Kotone stuck by her brother's side, her head leaning against his shoulder for the ride. She was exhausted, but was unable to rest just yet. Judging from the way her brother's hands were placed, Kotone deduced his right arm must also be aching dully. Her left arm certainly had been the moment they stepped out of the forest.

The words of the Oracle echoed in her mind as Kotone stared at the looming building drawing closer and closer.

 _We cannot know who is doing this, my prince and princess. We can only deduce there is something ominous happening in the western lands_.

'Hii-sama," Kotone thought quietly as she stared at the closing shore. 'I think we've found the place you were speaking of...'

* * *

It seemed like it was only a matter of minutes before Kotone found herself across the shore from the short boat ride. Getting off beside her brother and with their Elks standing behind, she was able to get a good view of the fortress for the first time. A crowd of people had gathered around the boat, some were shocked to see their fellow friend alive, while others were questioning if they were spirits. Shifting her gaze upwards, Kotone saw a group of women gathering around the entrance of the fortress. They all wore brightly colored kimonos and had towels wrapped around their hair.

One man walking by seemed to have noticed them as he stopped to stare at the siblings. It's not every day you see two strangers with red Elks behind them after all. Kotone shifted slightly beside her brother.

"Did any others survive?"

"I'm afraid we're the only two to make it," Koroku said sadly while Hikaru was moved by the rest of his friends.

All eyes in the vicinity turned and looked at the siblings, as if finally registering their presence.

"Everyone, these two here are our saviors! They brought me and Hikaru through the forest! That's how we managed to make it back to you guys." Koroku was being transferred from the boat onto a make-shift bed that could be picked up by four people, though it was clear the others were failing to handle him gently based on the way he was grunting in pain. "Hey! Watch the leg! I said _watch the leg_!" Koroku was placed on the ground by the others first.

The siblings were about to excuse themselves when a gruff voice stopped them. "Hold it right there!" Looking up towards the source of the voice, Kotone saw a rather rugged looking man with no hair speaking to them. He was dressed in all black and his attendant behind looked something like a assassin holding two blades in her hands. This new stranger made his way down the mountain and stopped in front of the siblings.

"First off, you have my thanks for bringing back two of our men. However, something isn't right about this. The two of you arrived a little after we did, and through the Forest God's home of all places!

Kotone bit back a reply when it became clear the man wasn't done with his rant.

" _And_ you did it with two of our injured men, granted you weren't carrying them, but this seems almost impossible to believe. Not to mention your strange-" the man was cut off by the voice of another female running down the incline.

"Koroku!"

"Toki?"

Turning around, Kotone saw a woman dressed in a light red kimono racing down with a towel wrapped around her head. This woman stopped in front of Koroku and briefly caught her breath. "You're alive?" She exclaimed, looking over the man's injuries.

"Toki, my love-"

The woman's expression shifted to one of anger upon seeing the damage to his leg and arm.

"Great! Just look at you! How are you going to drive the oxen cart now?! What are we going to eat?" she shrieked at her husband.

"Toki wait...please listen..."

Koroku's pleas fell upon deaf ears as Toki continued with her rant. "You scared me _half_ to death when the others told me you tumbled down the side of the mountain. I was so worried for you! Thinking you were eaten by the wolves!" Everyone in the crowd started snickering at their banter while Kotone was amused by this. "I honestly wish you were eaten by wolves! At least I would be free to find a _real_ husband!"

The man who had been interrogating the siblings focused his attention onto the bickering couple with an exasperated sigh. "Toki, save your sweet nothings for another time," he said, prompting Toki to spin around and focus her fury on him instead.

"And as for _you_ Gonza, some captain of the guard you are, strutting around and throwing your weight _after_ the danger is over. You barely do a lick of work around here!" Toki huffed, her hands on her hips as she glared up at the latter.

"That's untrue and unfair," Gonza protested though he was ignored by Toki.

She had her attention on the siblings and gave them a smile. "Thank you strangers, for saving my idiot of a husband."

"Oh good. We were starting to think we've done something wrong by bringing them back," Ashitaka answered with a smile of his own, though it was obscured by his face mask. Kotone smiled as well before sticking closer against her brother.

Slightly taken aback by his comment, Toki laughed loudly afterwards before leaning closer towards them. "Say, why don't you take your masks off? I bet you two are beautiful and handsome."

"Gonza?"

A calm voice interrupted their conversation, prompting Kotone and everyone else to turn their heads towards the source. Standing at the top near the entrance to the fortress was a woman. Due to the distance between them, she was unable to get a clear look of the lady's face except the bright red lips standing out in stark contrast to her porcelain skin. Kotone was able to see the woman was wearing a kimono of red and yellow, tucked inside a pair of dark grey hakama with a darker blue kimono draped over her shoulder like a coat.

"Escort the travelers to me later. I want to thank them personally," she said. Her voice was soft and gentle yet exuded power and authority at the same time. Kotone caught Gonza giving a curt nod beside her and the lady turned her gaze to Koroku.

"Koroku, I'm glad to see you're back and alive. I also want to apologize."

Koroku began tearing up and gave short nods as tears started trickling down the sides of his eyes.

"Milady, you shouldn't tell him things like that. If you're too kind to him, he'll just walk all over you." Toki said, grinning at the lady.

"I hope you'll forgive me too, Toki. I was responsible and should have never let it happen." The lady continued, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Toki shook her head at this. "That's alright milady. If you hadn't been there, the wolves would've eaten everyone."

Everyone around started laughing at Toki's comment.

"Get some rest travelers, and I'll see you later this evening."

The mysterious woman walked off into the fortress after.

The siblings lowered their masks at this just as Toki turned around. "Oh my! You two are beautiful and handsome," she exclaimed with a delighted grin.

"Who was that lady?" Kotone couldn't help but ask.

"That's Lady Eboshi, the mistress of Iron Town!" Toki informed with another grin.

_Eboshi..._

Kotone followed after her brother and Gonza quietly as the crowds began to disperse.

* * *

_To be continued..._

_Review?_

_The encounter will happen next chapter!_

_Until then!_

_Celsius Fate~_


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